Purpose: This book is an orientation manual on multicultural awareness. It could be used as a primer for people about to join a short-term mission team, as a college classroom reading supplement or as a training text for cross cultural field experiences. It is intended to help handle one's first exposure to a new culture and get the maximum impact out of a short term contact. Audience: The book is aimed at people anticipating contact with a new culture for the first time, particularly for the purpose of Christian ministry. This manual is espe-cially written with the short-term cross cultural prac-titioner in mind. Perspective: The author's perspective is that of a six-term evangel-ical missionary, looking back at his own initial cross cultural contact, and ahead at the growing queue of people interested in learning firsthand about the cross cultural ministry. Will recognizing the reality of the short-term phenomenon it is important to reaffirm the case for career engagement. The bottom line is that anyone wanting to engage in cross cultural ministry had better be ready for some bruises. Though the original title, Missions is a Contact Sport, has been changed, much of the material still communicates that tone.